Rivalry
by Master Huytin
Summary: It's a day out for Isaac, Shawn, and their classmates. But Isaac has to work with his hated rival Shawn on a project to boost his own ego. How will he survive? Middle School AU. An AI Football GGO Story


**Rivalry**

**A/N- Just a little story, I guess. A bit OOC because I adapted this from a writing task I did, and the style is not too comfortable for fanfiction; but anyway, hopefully the writing isn't too poor. Take it as a refreshing new style.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

While Shawn fumbled around with the length of the rope they had been given, Isaac lugged the wood behind him. It was uncomfortable and overly industrious work; there was no way he would have agreed to it should it not have been following the rota he had proposed in the first place.

It had, of course, been the most abhorrent turn of luck for him to be allocated to work with Shawn. He had come to the trip looking forward to what had been a promising prospect of building rafts and huts and shelters with his best friends, but little had he known that he would have to be lumped in with his rival. Yet, as fate would have it, there he was, stuck in with his brusque, haughty, socially-inept enemy.

And so there they were, working like mules in a silence punctuated only occasionally by one demanding something of the other.

Of course, they could have just settled for the basic guide they had been given by the instructors. They could have stayed where everybody else was, clumped in clusters. They could even have taken the tools which had been provided.

No, they couldn't really. They were the best in their class for a reason, and even if he wasn't going to be happy for a second working together with Shawn, Isaac would just have to lead him to first place. He was an overachiever, and, though he was loath to admit it, so was Shawn; thus, they would of course build no normal hut. It would be a castle, a magnificent fortress, a bastille _en bois_. There was no doubt about that.

Shawn was taking a rather long time. Isaac knew that he obviously would have been faster, but such was the nature of their agreed work schedule. Isaac saw no need to help. He would wait for Shawn to catch up to him.

He gazed up the hill which they had come down in their quest to be the top. He then scanned the vast expanse of water in front of him. When he narrowed his eyes he saw the tops of the heads of some beavers, bobbling up and down merrily as they swam around.

The beavers. Shawn had suggested they come down here as it was where the little creatures built their dams. It was an integral task for the animals: devoid of any ambition or hierarchy- a matter simply of survival and shelter. And it was a task done well. Despite its collective and communal aspect, it was greatly efficient. The wood was of excellent picking and quality, and soundly structured in a way all other animals would envy. This of course, meant that Isaac and Shawn had an excellent stash of wood for the hut: and one which was easy to pick apart too. They were unconcerned about the fact they were destroying all the hard work of the beavers. It was all in the name of being the best; as far as they were concerned, there was absolutely no reason why the animals couldn't just build it again.

He watched as Shawn weaved his hands around and with a flourish, and finally completed the knot. The foundations of the building were done. He stood up, glancing at his admittedly elegant handiwork, and turned to face Isaac.

"Have you got the wood?" he asked, his eyes reflecting a sharp but mocking glare. Isaac scowled in return, making sure not to break the eye contact.

"Of course. Did you not notice me standing behind you for the last five minutes?"

Shawn only chuckled in reply. Isaac paid no mind to him.

"Fine then. I guess you haven't done too bad of a job."

"Likewise."

They glared at each other again. Soon, however, they turned to look at their blueprint.

"Foundations done then."

"Indeed."

And with that glib exchange, they went back to work again. It was finally time. Time for Isaac to excel his way. With the foundations done, it was time to build their complex mechanisms which would surely make the project. If one scrutinised, perhaps they might have said that Shawn was a tiny bit better than Isaac at architectural planning. Possibly. But, of course, Isaac eclipsed him in every way when it came to designing mechanisms.

He watched as Shawn can back with a bundle of sticks, dropping some along the way, and turning back to collect them. It might have made more sense for Isaac and Shawn to carry the sticks together, but Isaac was sure it was just Shawn being weak. Isaac wouldn't need to work with anybody. He was fine by himself.

A small patter of rain interrupted him in his bout of distaste. One drop plonked onto his forehead, and then another, then another. He glanced up in annoyance, and saw that the sky had rapidly darkened. Shawn had seen it as well.

"Looks like we'll be facing a bit of rain." he said, in a manner which was rather uninterested.

"Since when were you so clever?" Isaac shot back sarcastically.

"Well, I don't know. Are you going to run away?"

"As if. This shelter will be unrivalled whether you like it or not."

With that, they both rushed with renewed tenacity to collect as much sticks as possible, each sneering at the other as they dropped wood left, right and center while trying to carry too much at one time.

Finally, they were done, and ready for the finishing embellishments. Isaac tried to pretend he wasn't breaking a sweat as he wiped his brow fervently. Luckily for him, his face was soaked with rainwater from the downpour, which was now fully-fledged and powerful. He finally sent a text on his phone after the seventh call from his supervisor, pretending they were under full shelter and thus there was nothing to worry about.

Suddenly, he felt a trickle of water seep into his shoe. He turned in confusion to see a small stream of water flowing straight from the river and slowly covering where they were standing.

He turned, and saw Shawn cursing. This was bad. Them dismantling the dam had completely busted all that was stopping the huge body of water when it overflowed. The forest would be fine, but the place where they were standing, and more importantly their enterprise, would be covered for some time. The two of them watched as the beavers just simply receded to the shelter on the other side of the bank, which had not been demolished by the boys.

One moment their eyes met, and Isaac saw the bitter acquiescence in Shawn's eyes which he felt himself. Without a word, they began to crawl up the hill, which had become too slippery to walk on. Isaac didn't even care as his clothes were muddied in their maladroit attempt to ascend again. As they reached the top, they took one last look at their hut. The foundations collapsed, and it all tumbled down. Isaac frowned, and so did Shawn. Then they left.

As they came back into the centre, they looked absolutely awful. They had walked back in a disgruntled silence. Finally, Isaac could hold it back no more.

"Your foundations were so weak! If they were competently done the thing might have stood! Always second place, aren't you?"

"You can talk? My foundations were fine! If you had listened, you wouldn't have over-augmented it with those ugly limbs of yours! Getting lost in excitement- just a child, aren't you?"

Isaac had opened his mouth to argue again, but stopped before he could. He saw the same understanding come across Shawn's face. They were bickering like fools. And for the last five minutes, their classmates, including Isaac's friends, had watched, already changed into warm clothes and woolen slippers, with their cups of steaming hot chocolate half-drunk, watching them. He rubbed his temples in annoyance. They had failed. And it was his fault no less than it was Shawn's.

The beavers had gotten the last laugh after all.


End file.
